Milestone 17 Mile, Near 193 Wattlebridge Road, Newtownbutler, BT92 8EG

This is one of a surviving series of 12 milestones, erected between approximately 1810 and 1835, from an original set of 17 that marked intervals of one Irish mile along the mail coach road running from Enniskillen to the Fermanagh border and onward through Cavan to Dublin. The road between Enniskillen and Wattlebridge was largely constructed between 1808 and 1822, purpose-built to provide a broad, flat route for mail coaches. The service operated along this road, with some re-routing, until 1859 and the coming of the railways. The section of road at this point — the Wattlebridge Road — pre-existed the new purpose-built coach road.

This particular stone stands at the seventeen Irish mile point from Enniskillen and clearly displays carved distances of 63.5 miles to Dublin and 8.5 miles to Cavan, in addition to its distance from Enniskillen. It stands in its original location and retains its original form, material, and lettering.

The milestones in the series are carved from local limestone and are square in plan, rising just over one metre in height. They vary slightly in design, and their individual, uneven vernacular quality suggests the work of local craftsmen. In general, they taper gently to form an elongated prism, though in some stones this taper is less pronounced. The front and rear elevations are flush, while the side elevations are more distinctively profiled: they step outward at a low level to define a base, then overhang at the top with a roll that tapers upward to a crown profile, completing what appears to be a unique ornate terminus found nowhere else in Northern Ireland.

The group of 12 surviving milestones represents one of the most complete series of its kind in Northern Ireland and one of the few remaining physical remnants of the late 18th and early 19th century mail coach system — arguably the single most important communications network established across these islands before the railways arrived. Of the 12 survivors, two have been relocated and one was already listed separately. The group's significance is further enhanced by the existence along the same stretch of road of a contemporary coaching inn. This stone contributes to that group narrative through its authenticity, its original position, and the completeness of its fabric.